Prisoner threatened officer's family

By David Clarkson at the Christchurch Men's Prison

A prisoner is facing possible extra jail time for threatening to send gang members around to kill a prison officer and his family.

Dean James Charlton, 34, admitted the charge of threatening to kill at a Christchurch District Court session inside the Christchurch Men’s Prison.

Police prosecutor Bronwen Skea said he made the threat as he was being transferred between units at the prison at 8.45am on June 7.

He told the acting prison officer that after he got out of jail in December, “I’m going to come around and kill you and your family.”

He said he was going to shoot him and kill him, and then murder his family.

He then threatened that he was going to get the Harris Gang and the Road Knights gang to kill his family.

Skea said Charlton told police he made the threats because the officer was being staunch in front of other officers.

Judge Brian Callaghan remanded Charlton in custody to November 18 for sentence at Rangiora and asked for a pre-sentence report.

Defence counsel Tony Garrett said the only issue was whether the jail term imposed would be concurrent with the present sentence, or whether it would be cumulative and add to the sentence.